Review: ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY at Jackalope Theatre

Making its world premiere at Jackalope Theatre’s space in Broadway Armory Park, Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play is the latest original work from three-time Jeff Award winner Terry Guest, who serves as both playwright and director. Billed as a “100% fake story about 100% real people” spanning three decades, the play explores how far someone is willing to go for a shot at superstardom. Blending sharp comedy with compelling drama, Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play keeps audiences guessing as ambition, fame, and self-invention collide.

Set in New York City, a fictionalized Andy Warhol (William Anthony Sebastian Rose II) is stuck in a creative block and the middle of a love affair with his Best Friend Michael Brown (David Michael Dowd). Warhol later meets famous actress, Marilyn Monroe (Alexis Ward) who refuses to let him paint her as his next project. Things become more messy when Michael’s wife Edie Sedgwick (Jasmine “Jazzy Cheri Rush) discovers the affair, and the friendship between the three artists is shattered. As a result, Warhol dives deep into his work, creates the iconic Marilyn Monroe portrait and becomes known as a famous artist of the Pop Art era. While being haunted by Marilyn’s ghost, Warhol and his former friends continue to cross paths on a journey of ambition, jealousy, betrayal and madness.

Terry Guest is one of the best local playwrights working in Chicago today. Inspired by a similar experience to his character Michael – desperate for artistic recognition and becoming jealous of a friend’s success – Guest conveys the comedy and genuine vulnerability of the human experience. As director, he generates high energy from his script into the company. The scenic design by Sydney Lynne is extraordinary. The production opens with a show curtain constructed in a Warhol-inspired collage of fabrics. As it rises, it reveals a vibrant set filled with artwork, hidden doors, and ingenious transformations that elicit gasps and enthusiastic applause throughout the performance. Maddy Shows’ costumes and Ayanna Bria Bakari’s wig design brings the iconic artists to life while also beautifully highlighting the fashions from the 1960s to the 80s. Guest and composer/sound designer Ethan Korvne bring a heart-thumping original score with a great blend of classic songs from the time period. Meanwhile Levi J. Wilkins’ lighting design perfectly captures the feverish energy of painting especially in the moments when Andy and Michael go deep into the creative process.

The four-member cast showcases a range of comedic timing and human vulnerability in their performance. Rose II succeeds in capturing the look and mannerism of Andy Warhol driven by past trauma and creativity. As Warhol’s former friend and lover, Dowd brings an alluring performance of a man desperate for artistic recognition later turning to jealousy and anger when not given the accolades he believes he deserves. Rush as Edie is filled with chaotic sass and confidence that leaves the audience cheering for her after each scene.

The performance that shines the brightest comes from Alexis Ward as Marilyn Monroe. Ward enchants the audience as the legendary Hollywood actor known for her talent, physical beauty and sweet soft voice. She also gives a profound performance as an inspiration and haunting vision, causing Warhol to feel trapped in the stardom he originally hoped to achieve. The funniest highlights include Ward from her unexpectedly breaking character as Monroe becomes weary of the relentless adoration, alongside a brilliant Salvador Dalí appearance, punctuated by a cigarette case gag that reveals an array of absurd moustaches. Long after the curtain closes, this cast makes their mark as sensational performers.

The performance that shines the brightest comes from Alexis Ward as Marilyn Monroe. Ward enchants the audience as the legendary Hollywood actor known for her talent, physical beauty and sweet soft voice. She also gives a profound performance as an inspiration and haunting vision, causing Warhol to feel trapped in the stardom he originally hoped to achieve. The funniest highlights include Ward from her unexpectedly breaking character as Monroe becomes weary of the relentless adoration, alongside a brilliant Salvador Dalí appearance, punctuated by a cigarette case gag that reveals an array of absurd moustaches. Long after the curtain closes, this cast makes their mark as sensational performers.

In the end, Terry Guest’s Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play is a wildly imaginative and deeply human exploration of ambition, artistry, and the price of chasing recognition. Blending absurdist humor with genuine emotional depth, Guest transforms familiar cultural icons into flawed, relatable people struggling to leave their mark on the world. Long after the final curtain call, Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play lingers as a vibrant, thought-provoking meditation on fame, friendship, and the relentless pursuit of artistic immortality.

Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play performs until July 6th at the Broadway Armory Park. For more information about Jackalope Theatre, visit the official website.